How to Stop Cakes From Doming:

Kirsten Cameron
3 days ago
2 min read

The Secret to Perfectly Flat Layers

If you’ve ever baked a cake only to pull it out of the oven with a rounded, mountain-like top, you’re not alone. Cakes doming—when the centre rises higher than the edges—is one of the most common (and most frustrating) issues bakers face. The good news? It’s easy to fix once you understand why it happens and how to prevent it.

Why Cakes Dome in the First Place

A domed cake is usually caused by uneven heat distribution. In most ovens, the outside of the cake cooks and sets faster than the center. The edges firm up, but the middle is still liquid and continues to rise upward—causing that bump on top.

Several factors can contribute:

Oven running too hot
Pan heating unevenly
Batter piling in the centre
Overmixing
Too much leavening

Now let’s look at how to stop all of that.

1. Lower Your Oven Temperature

This is the easiest and most effective fix.

Bake 25° F (10–15° C) lower than the recipe calls for.

A gentler heat allows the cake to rise evenly before the edges firm up. It may take a little longer to bake, but the layers come out flatter and more consistent.

2. Use Baking Strips (or Make Your Own)

Cake strips wrap around your pan and keep the edges cooler so they bake at the same rate as the centre.

Don’t have any? Make DIY ones:

Cut strips of an old towel.
Soak them in cold water and squeeze out excess moisture.
Wrap around the cake pan and secure with a pin or clip.

This equalises heat and drastically reduces doming.

3. Don’t Overmix the Batter

Overmixing adds extra air and strengthens gluten—both of which encourage the center of the cake to puff up.

Mix until things are just combined.

4. Use the Right Pan Size

Batter that’s too deep in the pan will rise too much in the middle before it sets.

Fill pans about half to two-thirds full.

Stopping cakes from doming is all about controlling heat and managing rise. With a lower oven temperature, baking strips, proper mixing, and the right amount of leavening, you can achieve perfectly level layers every time.